On This Day
One of the many things Dr Éamon was renowned for was his On This Day column in the Irish News.
Expertly chosen, the column chose a day in history and brought it in its significance to the modern reader.
The column was usually placed down the right-hand side of a news or features page, and the page number varied from edition to edition.
But wherever it was placed, the mix was variously enlightening, eclectic, sometimes sad, but always interesting.
Éamon loved doing the column, from the 1980s right up to late 2022. On This Day continues in the Irish News to this day under a new author.
These items are an invaluable historical record – old reports curated by an expert and brought to life again in modern media.
Over time we plan to greatly add to this collection of Éamon’s On This Day contributions. We are very thankful to Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and the Magill Trust for funding this project.
Please note: The Foundation has worked hard to recreate Eamon’s distinctive voice through AI. Since this is an emerging technology, occasional imperfections may be audible.

On This Day – 29th March 1921
Publication date:
March 29, 2021
Reference date:
19210329
Stories Included:
1921: A Cork church is targeted in a machine-gun attack during evening devotions while Joseph Devlin denounces Partition at a nationalist rally in County Down
Latest On This Day Posts
Published: March 29, 2021
On This Day – 29th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: A Cork church is targeted in a machine-gun attack during evening devotions while Joseph Devlin denounces Partition at a nationalist rally in County Down
Published: March 27, 2021
On This Day – 27th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: MPs question Special Constables’ conduct while Belfast shipyard expulsions continue, drawing international support for workers and highlighting ongoing sectarian divisions
Published: March 26, 2021
On This Day – 26th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Lloyd George defends executions and government policy in Ireland while Asquith criticises the approach as worsening violence and alienating public opinion
Published: March 25, 2021
On This Day – 25th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: A woman is shot dead during a Belfast funeral, Roslea is abandoned amid fear of reprisals and Sir James Craig moves closer to becoming Northern Ireland’s Prime Minister
Published: March 24, 2021
On This Day – 24th March 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Brian Faulkner rises to power amid Unionist division while London asserts authority and pressures Stormont to maintain reform and stability during escalating tensions
Published: March 23, 2021
On This Day – 23rd March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Deadly violence erupts in Roslea on the Fermanagh–Monaghan border while Ulster Specials deploy in Derry as tensions escalate before partition
Published: March 22, 2021
On This Day – 22nd March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: The underground Dáil advances the Belfast Boycott, reprisals devastate homes in Clifden, and British ministers publicly defend the government’s policy during the Irish War of Independence
Published: March 20, 2021
On This Day – 20th March 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Unionist hardliners intensify pressure on Stormont Prime Minister James Chichester-Clark, while cross-border economic ideas emerge, and Belfast marks the death of renowned uilleann piper Francis McPeake
Published: March 19, 2021
On This Day – 19th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: A police raid in Newtownards ends in gunfire when a suspect shoots RIC Head Constable John Boyd before surrendering after a tense armed siege
Published: March 18, 2021
On This Day – 18th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Andrew Bonar Law resigns from political leadership due to illness, while economic warfare intensifies with attacks on Belfast goods during the boycott campaign
On This Day Posts by Year
Please select a year to see the series of articles written by Éamon.
Latest On This Day Posts
On This Day – 27th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: MPs question Special Constables’ conduct while Belfast shipyard expulsions continue, drawing international support for workers and highlighting ongoing sectarian divisions
On This Day – 26th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Lloyd George defends executions and government policy in Ireland while Asquith criticises the approach as worsening violence and alienating public opinion
On This Day – 25th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: A woman is shot dead during a Belfast funeral, Roslea is abandoned amid fear of reprisals and Sir James Craig moves closer to becoming Northern Ireland’s Prime Minister
On This Day – 24th March 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Brian Faulkner rises to power amid Unionist division while London asserts authority and pressures Stormont to maintain reform and stability during escalating tensions
On This Day – 23rd March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Deadly violence erupts in Roslea on the Fermanagh–Monaghan border while Ulster Specials deploy in Derry as tensions escalate before partition
On This Day – 22nd March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: The underground Dáil advances the Belfast Boycott, reprisals devastate homes in Clifden, and British ministers publicly defend the government’s policy during the Irish War of Independence
On This Day – 20th March 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Unionist hardliners intensify pressure on Stormont Prime Minister James Chichester-Clark, while cross-border economic ideas emerge, and Belfast marks the death of renowned uilleann piper Francis McPeake
On This Day – 19th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: A police raid in Newtownards ends in gunfire when a suspect shoots RIC Head Constable John Boyd before surrendering after a tense armed siege
On This Day – 18th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Andrew Bonar Law resigns from political leadership due to illness, while economic warfare intensifies with attacks on Belfast goods during the boycott campaign
On This Day – 17th March 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Political turmoil gripped Northern Ireland as Prime Minister James Chichester-Clark faced pressure after London talks, Brian Faulkner encountered angry Unionists, and Jack Lynch criticised Bernadette Devlin
